The present invention relates to automated dispensing equipment and, in particular, to a merchandising kiosk for sundry dry good products packaged to differing sizes and shapes.
Varieties of merchandise dispensing assemblies have been developed for many different types of products. Most typically such assemblies operate with uniformly packaged products. Depending upon the packaging, an attendant electro-mechanical support assembly contains the individual packages and sequentially advances the product as requested by a user. Refrigerated and heated products are maintained in enclosures having mechanical support units which dispense the product at a preferred temperature for the product.
Frequently encountered examples of this type of dispensing equipment are dispensers for snack foods such as canned and bottled beverages, candy, chips, popcorn, ice cream bars, etc. The products are arranged in one or more partitioned racks, trays or spiral clamps in seriatim fashion. The product is dispensed by incrementally advancing the support assembly in response to user entered selections and deposited moneys.
U.S. Pat. Nos 4,412,292; 4,766,548; 5,159,560; and 5,207,784 disclose remotely monitored vending dispensers for beverages and video cassettes. Associated control is included for monitoring, recording and/or communicating inventory status to a control center. Inventory administration can be performed on-site or communicated to the central center. Support personnel either on a periodic basis or in response to reported status data access and maintain the inventory.
Information, postage and newspaper kiosks are also known at U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,369,258; 5,271,669; 4,817,043; 4,571,898; and 4,265,059. The former kiosks include interactive capabilities and dispense information from a contained monitor and stamps from a dispenser. The latter newspaper kiosks principally provide enclosures for papers and various novelty items.
A variety of automated teller machines are also known having an interactive control capabilities, and dispensers for distributing money. Interactive greeting card dispensers are also known which custom print cards in response to user entries.
Although the foregoing dispensers have proven adequate for limited selections of uniformly packaged products, a need exists for merchandising equipment capable of dispensing non-uniformly packaged products; particularly large inventories of many types of products, for example 200 to 600 different selections. Preferably any such dispensing station should be unmanned and require little human intervention. The station should also automatically perform many necessary administrative functions.
The present invention was developed to provide an interactive, self-service, merchandising kiosk. The kiosk is adaptable to containing an inventory of 200 to 500 different product selections, such as found in a gift or novelty shop or newsstand. With the exception of periodic maintenance or inventory replenishment, the kiosk is unmanned. Administrative functions are performed by a local programmable controller and are reported to a remote monitoring station. Customer selections are made through an interactive audio-visual display panel and payment can be made with either cash or credit card.